


Children of the Underworld

by RosettaStarlight



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hades is a Good Parent, Implies stuff like camp half-blood, Low-key Macaria/Thanatos, Mentions of other demigod children, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, or at least he tries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosettaStarlight/pseuds/RosettaStarlight
Summary: "I understand if you think I should have told you earlier, but this...thing we've got going on here, making up for lost time and all..." Hades trailed off, watching Mal as he guided her down the steps into the Underworld. "I didn't want to scare you away too soon if you thought this was too big a step.""No, no, I'm just...meeting my stepmother."------------Mal wasn't sure what she expected of this when Hades offered to introduce her to her father's family. But she's still deciding if she regrets saying yes. After all, one needs all the family they can get.
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Hades & Mal (Disney), Hades/Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Hades/Persephone (Disney), Implied/low-key Macaria/Thanatos
Comments: 28
Kudos: 192





	1. Persephone

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of Greek mythology and adapted to the Descendants universe, although I don't know much about some of it since there are other versions, it does intrigue me. Anyway, chapter one, hope you like it!

"I understand if you think I should have told you earlier, but this...thing we've got going on here, making up for lost time and all..." Hades trailed off, watching Mal as he guided her down the steps into the Underworld. He kept checking to see if she wanted to turn back at anytime, but though she didn't look all that comfortable, she didn't turn around or ask to go back home. "Didn't want to scare you away too soon if you thought this was too big a step."

"No, no, I'm just...meeting my _stepmother_." The word sounded foreign coming out of her mouth, but she forced the smile anyway. Up until Hades told her a few days ago, she didn't even know she had a stepmother considering he hadn't been off the Isle that long, but then again, the most she knew of her father's personal life before he had her was that he and Malificent wed, the marriage ended badly, they divorced, he left. She also could have tried to read up on Greek mythology once she began getting re-acquainted with the god of the dead. 

"I'll be honest with you, she wasn't that thrilled to hear about you, either, but she knows when I married your mother, Persephone and I were, well, on a break, so she can't be too mad at you." The words were meant to be comforting, but they had the opposite effect on Mal. "It only took me a short while to get her to agree to see you face to face."

What if she didn't like her? Would it be awkward? Would she hate her on sight because Mal was a constant reminder of Hades' short affair with her mother? What if Persephone tried to get Hades to stop seeing her to focus on _their_ children? What if they—

"Why's this all so important to you anyway?" she couldn't help but ask.

Hades stopped in his tracks, sighed, and took a quick glance around to make sure they were alone. After all, couldn't have his employees start thinking he was going soft. He turned to face his daughter and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Mal, I know I wasn't there for you much growing up. I was too wrapped up in my own self-pity and, I just thought you'd be better off without me. But now that you're back in my life, I really do want you to be a part of my family, I want that for you after all you've been through, and I want them to accept you, too."

A small smile grew on Mal's lips, warmth in her heart, but both came to a freezing halt as the last part registered. "Wait... _them_?" she repeated.

Her father's eyes widened, his face immediately telling he'd said a lot more than he meant to. He gave a too-innocent-looking smile and backed away. "Well, uh, guess I might as well rip off the bandage now.... You're not an only child, but for now, let's focus on Persephone." With that, he turned back around and started walking much faster than before as Mal chased after him.

" _What_!?" 

"Baby steps, Mal! We can talk about it later!"

* * *

"Hey, when exactly were you going to tell me I might have brothers and sisters?" Mal demanded.

"First of all, _a_ brother and two sisters...born in wedlock." Mal let out an incredulous scoff. "And second of all, once again, didn't want to drive you away by telling you too soon. Third of all, did you not read the book I left you last time?" As they approached the shores of the River Styx, they found countless souls gathered, most arguing with Charon, the ferryman. It was easy to say they didn't know of the rule when they first died: you want to cross, you needed money for the ferry.

Unfortunately, few died with money for the ferry, so often more than not, they were stuck waiting for several years before they were let on. Some didn't want to wait and escaped into the world above if they weren't let in, but Melinoë had always took care of them to make sure they didn't cause any trouble.

Mal paused to stare at them as they recognized the god and parted ways for him and his daughter, possibly with hopes they'd take pity and take them with them into the afterlife. "... Not really?" Mal admitted in a slight daze, looking about, but then shook her head. "But it still would have been better if I heard it from you instead of some book."

"Baby steps here, Mal. Also...uh, I'm still getting around to telling them, too."

" _Seriously_?!"

"Hey, that one's not my fault! They're always running about, and there was never an opening. We're all busy these days, Mal, especially you, remember? Nearly took a week to arrange this."

Okay, he had her there. With the new work that came with the rehabilitation program for villains that genuinely did want to try adjusting to Auradon society, the numerous amount of cases some were being tried for due to crimes done on the Isle (Ben had said for some the list went on: Child Endangerment, murder, child abuse and neglect, assault, rape.... They'd be elbow-deep in cases from the Isle for the next several years if they were lucky), setting up support groups for both adults and children, the wedding in a few months (Evie was driving her crazy with preparations, demanding her opinion on everything: the dress, the venue, invitations, every little detail) and add onto that everyday politics, they were lucky that Mal got a day off every once in a while.

Well, that's what she got for being the King of Auradon's fiance, and what was a little work if it meant gaining a better future?

Catching Mal's glances at the unfortunate souls, Hades gathered a few dozen to join them on the ferry. "Hey, Charon, have you met my girl, Mal?" He ignored Charon's shocked expression at the sight of the purple-haired girl, instead pulling her close to him by the arm. 

Charon looked her up and down then said in a monotone voice, "Another one?" At Hades' glare, he amended, "I mean, she's just lovely, my Lord."

"Listen, it's a special occasion, so why don't we just let these guys in for free." He gestured to the penniless souls. "I'll pay you back later

Charon grumbled under his breath, but he didn't speak up any objections if he had any.

As the ferry crossed the Styx, Mal took a quick look around. In the distance was the glow of Elysium, and beneath the boat, she could catch a couple of souls drifting past in the waters. "So when exactly were you going to say something? When Evie sent them an invitation to my baby shower?" she asked, returning to the topic at hand.

"Whoa, how did we get there?" Hades was now watching her with a suspicious glint to his eyes, the flames atop his head stretching slightly higher, causing the souls around them to back away and cower. "Wait, are you pregnant? Is that why you're marrying him this soon?"

"No, Dad, we're talking hypothetical! And stop trying to change the subject!" 

"He does the same thing whenever I ask him for a raise," Charon mumbled under his breath. 

"Fine, fine, I'll see if I introduce you soon as I can," Hades insisted, raising his hands in peace. "So, Charon, what have the little devils been up to while I was gone?"

"Well, my Lord, they have done a good job maintaining the place when and the Lady are gone, and some of the—" He glanced at Mal— " _others_ do duck in and out on occasion to help out or receive assistance."

"See, they were busy making sure this place didn't fall apart while I was gone," Hades said, turning back to his daughter who had her arms crossed. "You think it's hard running a kingdom, try the Afterlife! For now, let's focus on the queen, okay? If she likes you, I doubt the others won't, too. Right, Charon?"

Charon turned his head away from Hades and rolled his eyes. "Right, my Lord. Here we are, everyone!"

Cerberus sniffed every soul disembarking from the ferry, just to make sure no one living was trying to sneak in. As his master came into view, he wagged his tail, panting from all three mouths.

Hades smiled and petted the dog's spotted back. "Hey, big guy, did you miss me?" he asked. "Mal, come on."

The fae hybrid slowly approached, holding up her hand for the gigantic three-headed dog. Cerberus's three heads exchanged looks before one bended down to sniff. Mal felt the rush of air as they breathed, but then one panted as if to laugh and gave her cheek a lick that nearly left half her face covered in dog slobber. Her father's laughter reached her ears as she wiped her face with her sleeve, but by the time she turned back around, he was following the dog into the gates.

"Coming or not, Mali?"

She hesitated a moment in front of the gates before running in after him until they reached Hades' palace.

As they approached the throne room, Mal stopped. Seeing her face, Hades squeezed her shoulder. "She's gonna love you," he assured her.

He opened the doors, and in her throne, a design resembling flowers inlaid into the metal, sat the queen of Hades herself. The flower petals arched around her head like a headband were wilting like they always were during autumn and winter, but her blonde hair remained radiant as ever, a pink glow outlining her body. 

Queen Persephone smiled at Hades as she petted Cerberus.

Then her eyes met Mal's, and her smile faded just a little.

Mal's heart pounded in her chest as the goddess rose from her throne, her gaze trained on the girl both god and fae. Slowly, Persephone approached, and Cerberus came behind Mal to nudge her forward. Once the two were near inches apart from each other, Mal awaited her judgement with bated breath.

Persephone began to circle Mal, eyes searching her up and down, and the memory the gesture brought of her mother made her tense. Searching for any imperfections in form or personality as if she could see into her soul. Then finally, her stepmother stopped before her, and with surprising gentleness, grabbed Mal's chin and lifted up her head for green eyes to meet violet.

Then, in a voice close to disdain, she demanded, "What did that woman do to you?"

Mal's eyes widened, but Persephone had already turned away from her to snap at her husband, "What did you let that woman do to her?"

"Why is everyone ganging up on me today?" Hades held his hands up. At the same time, he internally breathed a sigh. Had it been one of the other goddesses like Hera, she would have tried to smite Mal on sight, but at least, she could see enough to give the girl a chance, and was being civil while doing it, which was much more than he could say for the previous occasional demigod of his that wandered into the Underworld.

Rolling her eyes, Persephone turned back to Mal, a small smile playing on her lips. "Mal, isn't it? Hades has been telling me so much about you. Maybe, we could...sit and talk, yes?"

Okay, that last part might or might not be a bad sign, but still, Mal had a lot farther than her brothers and sisters before her—not that Hades made a habit of it like his brothers.


	2. Melinoë

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ah, yes, if Father forgot to tell I was coming, then I suppose introductions are in order." With that, she disappeared, fading out of view and leaving an empty seat only to reappear behind Mal just as she turned around. "Melinoë. Goddess of Ghosts, nightmares, and madness." She stretched out her right hand, the color of obsidian. "And you must be Malificent'."

Well, that was easier than Mal had thought. 

She plopped down into a chair outside the house she and Ben had for their days off. It was easier that way, only a few relatives and, of course, their best friends, knew its location so they wouldn't end up harassed by the public on the little freetime they had unless it was urgent. It wasn't too far in the woods, but far enough, and it was nice to be around the fresh air and trees. Ben had even gotten into the habit of planting flowers along the front (he started when he first began looking into and taking on the cases of the Isle). 

She'd only have it as a vacation getaway when she and Ben got married and she would have to officially move into the castle, but for now... It was home, simple, nice and peaceful.

Or at least it was until something inexplicably made Mal's hair stand on end. 

She wasn't sure what it was. One minute, she was sitting peacefully, finally getting a break from the dress arrangements Evie had taken charge, and the next, the air held an uneasy feel to it that made her skin crawl and all her muscles tense up in fight or flight. 

Skin still crawling for no real reason, her eyes searched around her as she rose. It didn't feel normal, this...bizarre, disconnected sensation of fear. And because Mal had felt actual fear before, many times, both on the Isle and Auradon, she recognized how artificial and out-of-proportion this sensation actually was.

She glanced around, but she was alone in the forest. Either someone was tormenting her from the shadows for no reason, or....

"I know you're there," she called out. She had felt a similar threatening aura rolling off her father in waves, although only when he meant to strike fear into others' hearts.

The air seemed heavy and thick, as if it were alive, trying to coil around her and crush the breath out of her lungs. A twig snapped under her foot with a crack like a shotgun and Mal jumped.

Then all at once, like a switch being turned off, the oppressive weight vanished off her shoulders. She gasped. The fear was gone. Around of her were trees and grass, perfectly ordinary. There was nothing to indicate the heart-pounding gauntlet she'd experienced moments before.

"Okay, whatever game you're playing, it isn't funny!"

A soft laugh echoed from all around her, and the swing hanging off the nearby tree began to swing back and forth on its own. As she stomped over to it with a huff, half-expecting the Cheshire Cat's daughter, she froze when the culprit began to materialize and show herself.

The girl seemed split exactly down the middle, one half of her body, the skin, hair, and even eye on that side, looked to be made of shadows. Darker than obsidian and the deepest night from the top of her hair to the soles of her bare feet. Meanwhile, the other half seemed made of the purest light, skin pale enough to give Snow White a run for her money, and hair so light, Mal could pick it out from a rooftop miles away. The dark grey dress she wore reached a few inches below the knees, gold details stitched into the hem.

Mal slowly began to approach her, and as she got closer, she heard her humming the tune of _Ring around the Rosie_. When the two were only a few feet apart, Mal was trying to find what word to say first, but got beat to it.

"Did you know that old nursery rhyme was made about the plague?" she asked, fixing Mal with a piercing gaze. Now she knew where that odd sensation of fear came from. Even as it felt more subdued now, her mere presence radiated an aura that caused instinctual, heart-stopping fear. "And now children sing about it and dance in circles?"

"Uh, I wouldn't put it that way, but...sure."

The girl's asymmetrical face broke into a broad grin. "I guess that goes to show you how people can come out of times of devastation and death, and turn it into something lighthearted to make children laugh," she said, swinging higher. "Everyone has their ways of coping when all they see is death one way and hopelessness another. Art has always been one method, and I don't really bother with the living, but I always love seeing something beautiful come out of a period of sadness. There was so little happiness at that time of a person's life, and yet, they still manage to create something to bring a smile to another. I just love that about them, don't you?"

Well, how was she supposed to respond to that? "Sure," Mal said hesitantly. "And you are?"

The girl tilted her head at Mal in a look of confusion as she brought the swing to a stop. "Surely Father told you I was coming?"

"No, but I'll kill him later," Mal said, racking her brain to see if Hades had mentioned anyone coming to visit. 

Laughter. "Good luck with that. We run the realm of the dead. You'd just be sending him home." She began swinging again, only with slower momentum this time. 

"'We?'"

"Ah, yes, if Father forgot to tell I was coming, then I suppose introductions are in order." With that, she disappeared, fading out of view and leaving an empty seat only to reappear behind Mal just as she turned around. "Melinoë. Goddess of Ghosts, nightmares, and madness." She stretched out her right hand, the color of obsidian. "And you must be Malificent'."

"Mal. Malificent is my mom." Hesitantly, she shook her...half-sister's hand. At least that explained the unease she caused from her presence alone. "But shouldn't that make you a demigod?"

Melinoë shook her head with a sigh. "Didn't you read up on Greek mythology?"

"No, but I'm starting to think I should have."

"A demigod is a child between a god and a mortal, such as yourself," Melinoë said. "But a child born between two gods is automatically a god themselves. A minor god perhaps, to control the subcategories of our parents' respective domains, but a god all the same." She looked at the house, a simple cottage from the outside, built to escape the stress of celebrity life. She bent down to inspect the flowers Ben had planted, just beginning to sprout, careful to touch them only with her left hand as wherever her right side touched, the wildlife beneath her foot withered and died. "My father controls the dead and so do I, to a lesser extent."

"Ghosts, right?" Mal came to stand next to her as she observed the budding flowers with something akin to wonder. "So you're like, what, a female Grim Reaper?"

An amused tone rose in her voice. "Something like that." She looked up at Mal with the eye of pure white. "When souls depart this world, I come to them to give their souls a choice. Stay here, or follow me into the afterlife. If they choose to remain here as spirits, I keep an eye out so they don't cause any trouble." She let out a hum and lifted the stem of a rose beginning to bloom. "But enough about my job, did you plant these?" she asked. "I can tell they're taken very well care of."

"Um, no, actually," said Mal, sitting down in the grass with her legs under her skirt. "Ben did."

"The King of Auradon?" Melinoë turned her head towards her, and while the duality of her face did continue to keep Mal unsure of where to look, she was slowly getting used to the sight. "Well, I suppose when mortals say go big or go home, they really mean it," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Boyfriend?"

"Fiancé."

She could practically see the gears in her head come to a screeching to a halt. "I'm sorry.... _Fiancé_? You're getting _married_?" she demanded, and suddenly the similarity to Hades was striking, and if she had flames, Mal knew they would be flaring.

"Yep. In two months."

"How old are you exactly?" 

"Eighteen."

"And how long have you known him?" 

"Two years."

"Huh?" Melinoë looked away, pondering her answers. "Well, at least that's longer and older than most of the queens?" she muttered, before glancing back at Mal. "Say, uh, you're not...pregnant...are you?"

" _No_!" Mal snapped, her face burning. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Melinoë drew her attention back to the original topic, "Either way, he did a lovely job here. Creating beauty has always been a lovely coping mechanism when dealing with ugly sights."

Mal froze at that. She supposed she hadn't considered at the time how handling the cases of the Isle was affecting Ben himself. After all, to her, she had to keep reminding herself that what she grew up with wasn't normal. It was what she knew. But Ben had been raised in picture-perfect Auradon, where the most violent crime was maybe petty theft, the worst sent sent to the Isle. Now, he was looking into cases and evidences of domestic abuse, assault, and even murder, listening to kids account their experiences. Mal hadn't thought to ask and he hadn't said anything, but he had always been more focused on the big picture in bettering the future than on himself.

"So, is it hard? Your job, I mean?" Mal asked. The question made Melinoe pause.

After a long moment, she answered. "... Sometimes. The bad people, the ones that did terrible things in their lives, I have joy in escorting them to the Fields of Punishment, but the hardest are always those that die before their time. They die due to circumstances outside of their control, before they've had a chance to live a long life, or who have been so saddened and damaged by life, they take their own." With her right hand, she touched a blade of grass, and it wilted and blackened in almost an instant. "I know taking their souls will bring pain to their loved ones, but it's necessary. In some cases, I'm even easing their suffering, but it does take a toll, I suppose, seeing death wherever you go. Nightmares are easier." She looked up, eyes staring at nothing in particular. "Some people need to learn to be afraid, and sometimes nightmares tell you what you can't see when you're awake."

"So...how exactly do you deal with it?" Drawing, painting, that kind of was just something Mal happened to enjoy, but she couldn't deny every now and then, an Isle-inspired piece might make its way into her art. Some were inspired by what little good things you could find over there, like her best friends, and some were inspired by...not so good things. "I mean, I just kinda thought..."

"It shouldn't be that big a deal to us?" Melinoë finished for her. "After all, why would gods of death ever be affected by it? Well...sometimes you just get tired of being surrounded by the remains of life, and you start to see how much the living take for granted. Out of death comes sadness and pain, and sometimes that's all I get to bring when I take someone down, and being down there... you either end up in eternal punishment, eternal limbo unless you choose rebirth, and yeah, there's the blessed, but Macaria gets that, so it's not really a cheerful place, you know." Then she smiled and leaned back into the grass. "So it helps to enjoy the little things of the living, things you probably don't think twice about. Father likes to tend to the garden he gave Mother while she's away, and while she's home, he helps out, and I like to make music. It's a cute thing you mortals do--" she sat up to look at Mal-- "although I can't understand all the singing."

That made Mal laugh. "Yeah, can't understand why we do that either sometimes. It's just something we _do_ , and no one's really questioned it before," she shrugged. Then she looked over at the goddess (she had a _goddess_ for a sister, her friends were going to have a field day with this), and made an attempt for a smile. "If you're not _too_ busy, um, would you like to come inside?"

"It's my day off, I'm sure people can hold off dying for one day." In a wisp of smoke, she was suddenly at the door. "Although do you think we can talk about something other than our jobs?"

"Oh, trust me, we both need a break from that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned to make Melinoë just some gloomy goth but then quarantine blues started getting to me so I made this instead. Also, I don't know why, but now I picture Mal buying her a black and white leather jacket just for fun, and Melinoë hugging it and treating it like the best gift she's ever gotten, and if I had the drawing capabilities, I'd make it, lol :). Hope you're all staying safe and enjoy this chapter.


	3. Macaria

"Would it kill you people to knock? Or is giving heart attacks to the living a hobby for you guys?!"

Perhaps those weren't the wisest first words to speak to her older sister, but the Isle had slipped out when she found the goddess perched atop the kitchen counter as Mal entered her little home in the woods (oh no, she was starting to sound like one of _those_ faeries). And after living on the Isle for sixteen years, forgive her if the sight of a stranger inside her locked house made come very _very_ close to attacking said stranger.

But no, it was just a strange girl that she could tell by the glow had to be a goddess. What else could she be? One could even mistake her for an angel if she had a halo hovering over her head. Besides being among the most beautiful women Mal had ever seen, she was bathed in a white light that seemed to follow her, body outlined in a white glow and pale wings sprouting out her back. Golden blonde curls were pinned back, and all together, she didn't look like a daughter of the Underworld. Maybe Zeus' or any of those residing in Olympus with such a heavenly look about her.

But the smirk on her lips and those eyes told she was indeed one of Hades'.

"It is a bit of fun," the goddess laughed but toned down the intensity of her glow as Mal cautiously lowered the hand shielding her eyes. She sat cross-legged above the knife drawer with her wings tucked into her back. "It's been over twenty years since any of us have been allowed to walk on the world above in physical form."

"Right, right, the proclamation," Mal mumbled, trying to recall her history lessons. "Hades was considered a villain, but because Persephone did nothing wrong, they left her and her kids alone as long as they..."

"Stayed way down in Hadestown," finished the woman for her with a raised eyebrow. 

"Give me a minute." Mal held up a hand and took a quick detour into her room, searching for the mythology book in the drawer by the bed. Though she'd never learned a word of Greek, they all seemed to automatically register in her brain. When Melinoe had caught her struggling to read the words of some documents, she had explained more often than not, most Greek demigods have difficulty reading English since their minds were hardwired for the language of their heritage.

As she found the book her father left, she flipped it open and searched through the pages until she found one with an accurate description of the woman sitting in her kitchen. Walking back out, Mal held up the book. "Macaria, right?"

"Ah, so you do have it?" she questioned in a teasing tone. "Considering what I heard, I thought you lost it or something." Mal frowned at her, but she seemed to ignore it as she uncrossed her legs and let them dangle. "Yeah, that's me. Goddess of the Blessed Death."

"Blessed Death? I thought there were only three categories."

Giving a loud sigh, Macaria leaned forward, resting her hand on her chin. "If you've chosen rebirth at least three times and managed to get into Elysium all three, you get to go onto the Isles of the Blessed," she recited as if this wasn't the first time she'd been asked. "It's quite boring if you ask me. Almost nobody gets in and nothing interesting happens there anyway."

"Sounds the exact opposite of the Isle of the Lost," Mal said, taking out a seat from the table nearby. Macaria laughed at that.

"Well, we all know what happens on there." She winked at Mal. It took a while for her to get it, but once it registered, her face flushed. 

"No, no, it wasn't like that, I was a one time thing," Mal insisted, waving her hands on front of her face.was

"Relax! At the time Mom and Dad were separated anyway after what he tried to do to Uncle," shrugged Macaria. "Besides, it's not like Dad's had that many affairs. Only maybe...once or twice before they decided no more half-human kids. And, well, you technically don't count since the other half isn't exactly _human_ , is it?"

"Nah, dark fae," Mal said, pointing to herself. She wondered if her father was the reason she hadn't grown her mother's horns even after leaving the Isle, or perhaps an effect of being born there with her magic suppressed so long. "Why would the gods agree to that?"

"Oh, not the gods, just the main three, Zeus, Poseidon, and our father." In a flash, Macaria was no longer on the counter but sitting on the opposite end of the table, taking Mal's book to flip it open to a certain page and leaving it open on the hard wood surface, shoving it to her. "See, the demigod children of those three have a reputation of being stronger and more powerful than others. I mean, besides godly strength, we've also got one with control over all bodies of water and liquid, another with the skies and lightning, and another with the power of shadows and the ability to control the dead. You do the math." She gave Mal an expectant look. "I suppose that's what your mother intended, to combine the magic of the fae with the power of one of the strongest gods but being born on an island with a barrier that suppresses magic doesn't exactly do wonders for the magical."

Mal couldn't find it to be angry at the words because they were true. Some magicals were born human and never got their magic even after being freed, some did but after being suppressed for so long, their magic was either too much to handle or needed extensive training to be able to use it, and shapeshifters were often born stuck in between their human and alternate form, having animalistic traits and habits. Still, her eyes narrowed at the implication.

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen how powerful you are." Macaria smiled. "Just not as powerful as you could be. That's all." She laughed. "I mean, the reason they vowed not to have anymore demigod children was because they're the ones that caused the war."

Mal made to retort, but then the rest of that statement caught up to her. "I-I'm sorry. War?"

Macaria looked up her. "Wow, you really don't do your research, do you?"

"I'm kinda busy right now!" Mal exclaimed, gesturing around her. 

"Ooh, right! You're getting married next month, congratulations!" Macaria gave a little clap. "I've heard only good things about King Benjamin... Well, except from Dad, but he's in the minority!" Then her face grew uncertain. "Although...speaking as someone who's seen all kinds of marriages come and go, getting _married_ straight out of high school is a little _early_ , don't you think?"

"Well, with Ben and I, it's not just any high school crush. It's true love," Mal insisted.

Against her will, a snicker escaped Macaria's mouth. "If I had a drachma for every time I heard a teenager say that..." she mumbled under her breath, shaking her head. "Just so we're clear, though...you're not getting married because you're pregnant, right?"

Lowering her head into her hand in defeat, (because at this point, she was used to that question from the press, and even Fairy Godmother had taken her aside to ask even if it were in a more subtle way—like they were ones to talk, almost all of them had gotten married before eighteen with Rapunzel and the Queen of Atlantis so far the only ones to take a couple of years to say 'yes' to their kings proposal) Mal had looked take several deep breathes before looking back up at her half-sister. "Mac, listen to me very carefully," she said slowly before her voice rose. " _No_!"

Raising her hands in surrender, Macaria muttered, "Okay, I'm just saying your fiance seems the type to do the honorable thing if he...you know. And in our family, you need to understand we're kinda used to the men in our family knocking up girls and leaving them—as far as I can remember, our father's the only one who puts effort into trying to raise his kids."

"Ben's not that type, believe me, he's more a 'wait until after marriage' kind of guy," Mal snapped, folding her arms over her chest.

"Hah! If the Greeks followed that rule, I can guarantee there'd be a lot less demigods running around," snickered Macaria, shaking her head, blond curls bouncing. "Of course, it's not like they change after marriage either. When they tell Hercules tale, they always make Zeus look like a saint! Well, I can tell you, he is anything but!"

At that, Mal perked up. What could she say, she loved gossip about how the so-called 'perfect' heroes weren't so perfect. Made her feel less like an intruder and more like they weren't so far apart after all. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"Hmm, to put it bluntly... Our uncle's a godwhore." In a flash, she was in the chair right next to Mal. "He's literally the one who spawned some of the most renowned in Greek history. I mean he even—" she cut off suddenly and leaned forward, gesturing for Mal to come closer. When she obliged, Macaria whispered something into Mal's ear that immediately made her face twist in disgust.

Pulling away with a shudder, Mal stuck out her tongue, the mere image of what her sister just described leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "Please tell me you're joking!" 

"I wish! Everyone thinks Hercules is Zeus' only son! It'd be easier to list the children he doesn't have!" she laughed. As if on cue, a loud crack of thunder made both of them jump as a streak of lightning lit up a now stormy sky despite its sunny day mere moments before. Bashfully, the goddess gestured outside. "I think you can now see why I wanted to carry this conversation inside." Another clap of thunder rang out.

Huffing, she stood with her hands on her hips and shouted up at the ceiling, "Well, am I wrong?!


End file.
